I think the honest statement would have been "I've seen these offered for cheap to over $5000.

And since he's selling something it's easy to go from "offered" to "sell"

the truth is even it their heyday a k20 never sold for $5000. 5000 pennies more like. There were too many of them made, they were easy to keep going, and they were a work horse in the civilian aerial photography business for probably another 25 years after the war.

While I haven't crunched the numbers, even if you adjusted the prices for inflation, I don't think Graflex sold them to Uncle Sam for $5000. It's just fantasy._________________"In order to invent, you need a good imagination and a lot of junk" Thomas Edison

fast,
Have you read the post right under yours by Mike Turner regarding using and feeding a K-20? If I read it correctly, finding film is getting to be a problem. Don't know if you plan on using your cameras, but it is something to consider if you do.

Just had a quick look through the Army Technical Manual TM 11-2325, and p63 says 'You'll have up to $4000 in your hands when you man an aerial camera. That's the cost of a single camera - from that down to $150.'

As the K-20 was the smallest and lightest aerial/aircraft camera it is probable that was the one worth $150. Worth over $5000 now? Not a snowballs chance in hell.